Mirwood Ranger Handbook: Animal Tracking
The Animal Tracking section of the Mirwood Ranger Handbook covers the basic skills and elements needed for rangers of the Ranger Order of Mirwood to learn the art and science of tracking animals. Introduction As a ranger, the ability to accurately identify and track animals is an essential one. Such a skill is utilized in almost every facet of a ranger's duties, and it is only with constant practice can it be mastered. Remember, tracking and observation are one, and the ground itself is a manuscript. = Identifying Tracks = ----No two tracks or sets or tracks are the same. Each one is as unique as a human thumbprint. Still, there are similarities in track shapes and patterns that make it easy to classify into family groupings. You will also have to know a little about how the animal lives, whether it is found in your area, and what it might be doing there. To read and follow any track you will also have to be familiar with an animal's movements and the motivations behind them. Toes, Claws, and Shapes Counting the numbers of toes and claws is one of the most useful things you can do when you come across a clear track in mud, sand, or soft soil. This information is often enough to place the track in a given family. You can usually identify the species by analyzing the track's shape and size. Gaits and Patterns Most of the time you will find tracks that were made by animals moving at a normal slow rate of speed, but there are four different "slow" gaits and each one leaves a characteristic track pattern. It is critical to learn these gaits for tracking identification. The following are the four primary gaits that animals use as their normal slow rate of speed. * Diagonal Walkers * Pacers * Bounders * Gallopers = Animal Tracks and Habits = ----The tracks in this section represent "average" track sizes, strides, and other measurements. These numbers will greatly vary with the animal and the terrain, so don't expect to find tracks that perfectly match the below dimensions. The habits mentioned are meant to give general familiarity with some of the representative members of each animal grouping. The Cat Family Members of the cat family show four toes up front and four in the rear - without claws - and when they walk directly register. Cats are diagonal walkers and can trot, bound, lope, and gallop as they increase speed. They tend to go directly from a walk to a gallop. When hunting game, they usually bound before the during the last few strides before a kill, and pace when threatening. Cats are very stealthy and excellent hunters, almost exclusively carnivorous, and have fairly large territories. They also like to scratch trees and occasionally chew on herbaceous plants. Cats are also primarily nocturnal but can be seen through the day. They prefer to hole up in rock caves, hollow logs, trees and push piles. You can see often find cat hair on trees, but seldom on or near the ground since they are very careful walkers. Most cats are best seen in the evening or early morning when leaving or returning from a hunt. The Dog Family Members of the dog family show four toes up front and four in the rear, usually with visible claw marks. Only foxes have tracks that directly register, and all dogs are diagonal walkers, though some prefer to trot. On difficult terrain, they bound, gallop at high speeds, pace when threatening, and slow walk when stalking. Like cats, dogs are predators and primarily carnivorous, though they do eat some vegetable matter. Dogs hunt in singly, in pairs, or in packs, depending on the species and time of year. Their territories range from a few square miles for a fox to a hundred or more square miles for a wolf. Dogs don't usually maintain permanent dens unless they are mating, and usually rely on temporary bedding areas with protection provided by brush, rocks, or logs. The Rabbit Family Members of the rabbit family all show four toes up front and four in the rear and have relatively enormous hind feet. Though rabbits and hares are primarily gallopers, they sometimes bound on difficult terrain. They also diagonal walk or slow walk when sneaking and pace when threatening. Hares travel in a straight line while rabbits like to zigzig but both with zigzag when chased by a predator. Be prepared for variations in stride. Rabbits and hares feed on grasses and leafy vegetation in the summer, and their home range is about 10 acres. Cottontails prefer thick tangles of brush, while hares and jackrabbits prefer open fields. Rabbits also dig, and have well-defined trails and runs leading to bedding and feeding areas. The Rodent Family Rodents include many diverse families and hundreds of species. Some of the more common are voles, mice, rats, chipmunks, squirrels, woodchucks, muskrats, and beavers. They have a four and five-toe configuration and a usually galloping gait. They also bound on difficult terrain, pace when threatening, and slow walk when stalking. Rodent tracks vary greatly in size and it can be difficult to determine the species from a single track, especially with smaller rodents. In such cases, concentrate on patterns. The typical gait pattern is a wide U or V shape, and you can often determine the species by measuring trail width and stride, combining this knowledge with habits. The Bear Family Bears are large, chunky carnivores that put on tremendous weight before hibernation. They are rampantly omnivorous, eating grasses, buds, leaves, bark, roots, berries, birds, mice, rats, fawns, carrion, and fish - to name a few. Grizzly bear diets also include salmon and the occasional deer or elk. The black bear is usually solitary and nocturnal, though it does show up during the day. It dens in rock caves, hollow logs, and in excavations beneath fallen trees and ranges from 2 to 15 miles. Grizzly bears forage any time, night and day, denning in hillside excavations. It ranges from 25 to 50 miles, following the same trails over and over. Bear signs are numerous and obvious. Their tracks are easily seen, even on difficult terrain. The Deer Family Members of the deer family are diagonal walkers and their heart-shaped tracks are easy to identify and follow. When combined with stride measurements and habits, deer tracks provide fairly definite species identification. Deer also trot, bound, lope, and gallop. They pace when threatening and use slow walk when stalking and feeding. Most deer also have dewclaws - two sharp projections above each hoof that registers in mud or sand or when the animal is running. The below measurements do not include the dewclaws. = Animal Highways and Signs = ----While tracks can be identified by foot shape, size, and pattern, there are many other animal signs - some large and some small - that are equally diagnostics. Finding and reading these signs are as important as recognizing individual footprints. Large-Scale Signs * Trails * Runs * Pushdowns, Escape Routes, and Hides * Beds and Lays Medium-Scale Signs * Rubs and Nicks * Scratches * Gnawings and Bitings * Signs on Twigs, Stick, and Logs * Upper Vegetation Disturbances * Scat Small-Scale Signs * Hairs * Stone Disturbances * Leaf Disturbances * Compressions * Shinings * Dullings = Important Things to Remember = ----Below are several helpful hints, aids, and procedures for reading and following tracks in the field. # Lighting - Early morning and late afternoon are the best times for tracking because of the long shadows the sun casts. Mid-day hours are the worst because the sun is directly overhead and leaves little or no shadow. # Angle of Vision - When looking for a single track, the best way to observe is by getting low to the ground, keeping the track between you and the source of light. As you learn to track, you will find yourself spending many hours on your hands and knees, with your eyes only inches from the ground. # Sideheading - When having to read faint tracks, get down to your hands and knees and lower the side of your head to the ground. Close your top eye while looking at the track with your bottom eye; this helps emphasize compression irregularities and shadows. # Varied Vision - Vary your vision while tracking by backing up and looking for patterns and shadows. If you lose sight of a faint track, allow your eyes go splatter-vision for a moment and then refocus them. Look up often to see how a track fits into the landscape. # Thumb Aging - To quickly check the age of a track, push your thumb into the ground next to it and compare the fresh thumbprint with the track. # All Senses - Make sure to use all your senses while tracking. Listen to the sound around you, sniff the air for scents, absorb information through your skin and fingertips. Your whole body is a receptor for information. # Movement - Quietly stalk if the track is fresh and you think the animal is nearby. If not, either weasel walk or folk walk. Slow, soundless movement is the least threatening to wildlife and you can observe animals if you blend in with the flow of the woods. # Left-Right - Never step on the tracks when following a trail. Vary your vision and stay on the said that is most convenient for you. # Concentration - Don't talk or make noise while you're tracking. You'll scare the wildlife and break your concentration. You must be completely focused, free from distractions. # Attunement - Shut down internal dialog, and take your time to open yourself up to deeper levels of awareness. Trust your instinct; hunches and first impressions are usually the best. Category:Mirwood Ranger Handbook